Watch for The Union Market & Gallery at the Tuckerton Seaport

The people behind The Makers Festival have something new in the making: The Union Market & Gallery at the Tuckerton Seaport will open later this summer and showcase handmade goods along with a coffeehouse.

“We are so excited to present a plethora of handmade goods, delicious coffee and healthy eats to our community,” announced partners Dani Corso, Erin Buterick and Jeannine Errico.

It’s a year-round home for the type of craftsmanship that is so enthusiastically received at the festivals, at the Tuckerton Seaport location that itself is a unique mainland waterfront showcase of folk arts and maritime history. The arrangement seems perfect.

Opening day is set for Aug. 1.

The raw materials of the idea have been in mental reach for some time, and now came together like any inspired creation.

“This came about the day after we cleaned up from the first Makers Fest in 2015,” Corso told The SandPaper this week. “It has been in our sights from that point. It just took a little bit of time to find the perfect location.”

The Union Market & Gallery will come to life in the sunny building at the Seaport that formerly housed Skeeters and other incarnations of family-friendly restaurants.

“It just so happens that the Skeeters building at the Seaport fulfilled exactly what we were looking for, with the opportunity to be able to showcase our artists and provide some healthy food for the community,” Corso said.

“I grew up here, and both Erin and Jeannine live here. It’s great to expand our vision into Tuckerton.”

The eatery part of the business will have seating both inside and outside, which is scenically in view of the Tuckerton Creek that runs through the Seaport’s collection of recreated maritime workshops, working artisans, boating exhibits and museum. Inside will be a boutique-style retail space and a café area.

Plans are to keep the market and gallery open year ’round.

“And you can get here by boat,” Corso added, paying homage to the cool trip up the Tuckerton Creek by which boaters can access the Seaport from the bay.

By the way, The Makers Festival will still go on: The date this year is Sept. 16 at Manahawkin Lake Park.

“We want to be able to provide a smaller version of The Makers Fest all year,” Corso said of the new venture.

“Brooke Salvanto from the Seaport has been such a great support system, it has been phenomenal,” she added. “It has been a dream to work with her, and we’re looking forward to opening.”

The Union Market & Gallery at the Tuckerton Seaport has a Facebook page and a website (theunionmarketandgallery.com) with a link that viewers can click on to receive updates on the coming attraction.